Apparatus for



Mar. 6, 1923. -1,442?,54@

J. L. GAFFNEY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ABRASIVE MATERIAL OR PAINT TO THE SURFACE OF MATCH BOXES Filed Feb. 1, 1922 5 sheets-sheet l Mar. 6, 1923. 1,4475% GAFFNEY J. L. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ABHASIVE MATERIAL OR PAINT TO THE SURFACE OF MATCH BOXES Filed Feb." 1, 1922 5 sheets-sheet 2 Mar. 6, 1923. EAA'ZQEQQ L. GAFFNEY J. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ABRASIVE MATERIAL OR PAINT TO THE SURFACE OF MATCH BOXES Filed Fb. l, 1922 5 sheets-sheet 3 Patented Mar. 6, 1%23.

titan JOHN L- GAFFNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ABBASIVE IHATEEIAL OB PAINT TO THE SURFACE OE MATCH BOXES.

Application filed February 1, 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JoI-IN L. GAFFNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Applying Abrasive Material or Paint to the Surface of Match Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus more particularly intended for use as an adjunct to, or in connection with, box-making machines of the type employed for making boxes for safety-matches, but may be employed separately from such 1nachines without a departure from the invention.

As is well known to those skilled in the art to. which my invention pertains, the boxes for safety-matches, and sometimes those for other kinds of matches, consist each, of an open faced rectangular box or container for the matches and an openended similarly shaped shuck into which the said box is slidably located so that it canbe slid in the proper direction to expose either end of the box, to the end, that the matches may be reached for removal and use, or if desired, the box may be entirely removed from its shuck.

In the boxes for safety-matches, it is desirable that the opposite sides of the shucks thereof shall be provided externally with a coating of suitable material or composition, which will co-act with the composition or material out of which the heads of the matches are made, When said heads are rubbed on the coatin to produce ignition, without the danger of flying sparks. In the boxes for other kinds of matches, it is desirable that the opposite sides of each shuck thereof shall be provided with an abrasive against which the heads of the matches may be rubbed or struck to create ignition. In either case, the composition or material forming the striking surfaces for the matches, is applied in the form or consistency of paste or glue and is called in the trade, paint? The principal and general object of the invention is, to provide an apparatus for applying the abrasive material or match-igniting coating to the surfaces of match boxes without the usual manual handling or manipulation of the boxes.

Serial No. 533,338.

Another object is the provision of a machine o-frthe above mentioned general character, which can readily be operatively connected'toa portion of a box-making machine, in suehaway that the shucks of the boxes discharged from said machine, will be fed forwardly and automatically by the power of said machine, a distance on the guide-bar of the apparatus.

A further object, is to provide means whereby the shucks will automatically be turned as they travel along the guide-bar therefor, to'the end, that first one sidethereof may be coatediand later the opposite side, and afterwards, to another position as they are discharged.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be disclosed in the following description and explanation.

The invention consists in certain'peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and combination of the various parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a plan Viewv of the apparatus showing a fragment of the frame of a box making machine to a part of which machine a member of the apparatus is connected.

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line li- 1 of Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the guide bar for members of the match boxes, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in side elevation of a portion of said bar, showing it connected to a similar bar of a box-making machine.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The supporting frame of the apparatus is designated by the reference numeral 10 and is of an elongated rectangular form and supported horizontally by means of legs 11 one of which is located at or near each of the corners of the frame. Mounted on the upper surface of the frame 10 is a platform or table 12 which has transversely journaled thereon near its front and rear ends, driven shafts 13 and 14 respectively, each of which shafts has mounted thereon near one of its ends a sprocket wheel 15, the wheel 15 on the shaft 14 being engaged by a sprocket chain 16 extended around a sprocket wheel 17 on the driving shaft 18 which is transversely journaled on and above the platform 12 between the driven shafts 13 and 14 as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Mounted on the platform 12 below each of thefshafts 13 and 14, is a steam jacketed receptacle or pot designated as a whole by the numeral 19 each of which receptacles is elongated and placed lengthwise with respect to the shaftbelow which it is located, and transversely with respect to the main frame. The end walls of each of the receptacles or pots 19 are of convenient height to afford journal boxes or bearings for the driven shafts 13 and 14 respectively. As is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, each of the receptacles or pots 19 is provided with a cavity 20 which is substantially semi-circular in cross-section and each of said receptacles has communicating with the upper portion of its cavity an auxiliary cavity or chamber 21 which is located about midway between the ends of the receptacle 19 and is formed in a laterally extended enlargement 22 with which each of the receptacles 19 is provided.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 4, each of the receptacles 19 is provided with a cavity or chamber 23 which is located below the main cavity 20 of the receptacle and is used for the passage of a heating agent such as steam which may be supplied to the chamber 23 through a supply pipe 24 having communication with a supply of steam or heat not shown. Leading from the chamber or steam jacket 23 is an exhaust pipe 25 which may lead to any suitable point of discharge. Mounted on each of the shafts 13 and 14 within the cavity 20 of the pot or receptacle thereunder, is a paddle wheel, designated as a whole by the numeral 26, which comprises a series of paddles 29 which extend from each side of the wheel 26 to near the ends of the pots in which they are located and lie in parallelism with one another and the shaft on which the wheel is mounted.

Pivotally mounted outwardly of each end of each of the receptacles 19, and on the shaft extended through said receptacle, is an-arm 30 which extends forwardly and rearwardly of the shaft on which each pair of said arms is mounted, it being understood that that end of the main frame 10 adjacent the fragment of the box machine frame 31 is termed the rear end, while the opposite end will be regarded as the front or discharging end of the apparatus.

Journaled on the front portion of each pair of the arms 30 is a shafi 32 which carries about midway between its ends a brush wheel 33, which, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, consists of a pair of spaced disks 34 and 35, between which disks are mounted radially extended bristles 36 which are adapted to contact with the lower surface of the guide-bar 37 for the shucks of the match boxes, but when said boxes are slid along said guidebar, to contact with the lower surfaces of said shucks, instead of the bar, as they travel along the guide-bar. These brush wheels are adjustable by means of the arms 30 on which they are journaled, for it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, that each of said arms carries at its rear end an adjusting screw 38, to contact with an overhanging flange 39 with which each of the pots 19 is provided. By this arrangement it is apparent that by screwing the set screws 38 upwardly'the brush wheels 34 will be correspondingly elevated, when by unscrewing said screws, said wheels will be lowered so as to extend deeper into the cavities 21 of the projections 22, which cavities as well as the cavities 20 of the pots, are supplied with a suitable composition or abrasive which it is the function of the wheels 26 and brush wheels to apply to the shucks and to smooth or distribute it thereon respectively. The front ends of each pair of the arms 30 are connected together by a brace rod 40. That end of each of the shaft 32 which carry the brush wheels adjacentthe sprocket wheels 15 has mounted thereon a pinion 41 each of which meshes with a gear 42 mounted on each of the driven shafts 13 and 14 between the wheels 15 and adjacent ends of the paint pots.

Fixed on the driving shaft 18 near the sprocket wheel 17 thereon, is a pulley 43 to which power for operating the apparatus may be applied through a belt 44 leading from a source of power supply, not shown. The driving shaft 18 has mounted thereon near its ends'opposite the sprocket wheel 17, another sprocket wheel 45 which is geared by means of a sprocket chain 46 to a sprocket wheel 47 on a shaft 48 transversely journaled on the platform 12 forwardly of the driving shaft. Near the sprocket wheel 45 the driving shaft 18 has mounted thereon a rubber or rubber-tired wheel 49 which contacts lightly with the lower surface of a roller 50 carried by the middle portion of the guide-bar 37, which guide-bar may be connected-at its rear end to the front end of a guide-bar 51 of a box shaft 52, which, shaft is supported by a substantially u-shaped bracket53, the arms 54 of which bracketare secured at theirlower. ends to the platform 12,. below the shaft 48 and are inclined rearwardly and upwardly as shown in Fig. 2, in Which view it will be observed that the transverse portion 53 of said bracket is supported at one of its endsby an upright 55 resting atits lower end on.

the platform of the mainframe. The opposite end. of the transverse portion of the bracket 53 is connected to the. platform by means of a spring'56 the tension of which is exerted downwardly on said bracket. for the purpose to be presently explained.

, Mounted on the shaft 52 carried by the. bracket 53 is a rubber or rubber-tired wheel 57, which is locatedv in the same vertical By this arrangement itwis" manifest that in the rotationofthe' driving shaft 18, the shaft 48 will be rotated .by-rejason; of its connections 45,46, and 4:7, withthe driving shaft, and

in turn the shaft &8 will cause the shaft 52 and the whee1j57 thereon to be-rotated.

The auxiliary shaft 48 has mountedthereon directly below the guide-bar 37, a groovedpulley 61; on whichthe lower surface of said bar will rest. The shaft 48 also, has mounted thereon near its endopposite that on which the sprocket wheel 47 is mounted, a .pair ofsprocketv wheels 62 and 63, the former of which has extended there-over a sprocket chain 64 which engages the sprocket wheel 15 on the paddle-wheel-carrying' shaft 13 near the front of the supporting frame, and v transmits rotary motion to the last namedf shaft. A sprocket chain 65is extended over.

the sprocket wheel 63 andengages a sprocket wheel 66 mounted on the transversely journaled shaft 67 at the front end. of the supporting frame, which latter shaft has mount.- ed thereon, a pair of sprocket wheels 68 and 69 over which is extended a slatted endless conveyer 7 O which.islocateddirectlyunder the front portionof the guide-bar 37 andis employed to receive the shu'cksl, of thematch boxes flat-wise asthey are discharged from the guide-bar.

By the foregoing described arrangement of the parts and the manner in which .the shaftsof the apparatus are geared together, it is manifest that by applying power to the wheel 0r pulley 43 on the drive shaft 18, said shaft may beacaused to be rotated in the proper direction so. as to cause the paddle:

wheels on the shafts l3 and 14, as well as Over this the brush wheels 33 on the shafts 32, to be rotated, to the endfthatthe abrasive material orthe material with-which the opposite sides of'the .shucks are to be coated, to be continuously stirred by the paddles. and first appliedtothe lower surfaces of the shucks bythe peripheries of'the' wheels 26, and then distributed or smoothed on said surfaces by the-bristles36 of the rotary brushes 33.

It will be understood that the shucks will pass'froni the guide-bar 51 of the boxmaking machine, when the. latter is employed, onto the guide-bar 37 of the apparawe, in a continuous fashion. That is, the rear end of one of the shucks will contact withwthe front end of'the adjacent shuck as they pass from. the guide-bar 51 of the box-making machine, to the guide-bar 37 ofthe apparatus, and'consequently, they will be fed: forwardly on the guide-bar 37 for a considerable distance by the power of the box-making machine, but as soon as the forwardl-mostf shuck. on the .guide-bar 37 reaches the wheel26 rearwardly of the feed wheels. 49,; 50 and: 57 ,*it" will be forced for-- wardly ontheguide-bar 37 by theaction of said wheel. This op'erationwill be repeated aseach of-the shu'cks is presented at its front end to. said wheels-.26 and the feeding wheels, withthe-result that after they pass forwardly of said wheels, the shucksi will be caused. tot'ravel along the. guide-bar 37 by reason ofthe powerlimparted to'them by said feedrwheels,:untilithe shucks? are dischargedf'romithe frontlendpf the guide-bar. The pulley 61 is. employed to assist in the forward movement of the shucks', for it willIbe understood that said pulley contacts lightly with the lower surface of the guidebar in order that the lower portion of the shucks may pass between said guide-bar and: pulley. I

A very important feature of the invention isthe construction of the guide-bar 37 which is clearly. shown inF-ig; 5 of the drawings. In-this View, as well as in Figs. 1 and 2, it willbe noted that the bar 37 is rectangular injcrossssection. and of greater depth than thickness. This .bar is of substantially the same shape as the cavity of the shucks' of the match boxes, and. of sufficientv size to fit snugly thereinyet. insuch a manner as tov permit the .shucks tobe slid freely thereon. Between its ends the bar 37 is provided with a halfeturn' twist 37 and in the middle of said twistedportion with the roller 50 which is journaled in a suitable'opening in the.

bar and extends slightly through opposite surfaces thereof; Now as the shucks travel from the rear end of the bar forwardly thereon, they will present their narrow surfaces in horizontal planes one above the other. softhat the coating'materialloan be applied to thelower! surface. of eachv shuck by the wheel 26 and subjected to the action turned one-half of a revolution, thus presenting the formerly uppersurface of each shuck downwardly to be subjected to the application of the coating material by the wheel 26 and brush wheel 33 in thepot 19 located near the front end of the main frame. As the shucks travel along the twisted portion 51 of the guide-bar it is manifest that when they reach the middle portion of said twisted part, their narrow.

sides will be presented invertical planes, and that the tops and bottoms of the shucks will pass between the feed wheel 57 and roller 50 on the guide-bar and between the roller 50 and the feed wheel 59 respectively, and thereby be pressed towards the bar and be fed forwardly thereon.

In order to heat the coating material in the pots 19 so as to obtain and maintain the proper consistency thereof, I provide each of them with a steam or heat chamber 23 to which heat may be supplied through the pipe 24 and exhausted through the pipe 25 of each pot. By employing the spring 56 it is manifest that theifeed wheel 57 will be more or less yieldingly supported so that its contact with the shucks will be such as to cause the same to be fed forwardly by the said wheel on the guide-bar. The discharging' end of the guide-bar 37 has extended therefrom a pair of oppositely-bent wires 71 and 72 which are the equivalent of the side edges of a portion of the twisted part of said bar. These wires or short rods are so bent as to turn the shucks as they are discharged from the bar one-quarter of a turn, with the result that the shucks will be righted or positioned to fall with their broad sides on the slats of the endless conveyor 7 O which is employed to carry the shucks to any desired point for deposit. By means of the adjustable arms 30 and their adjusting screws 38, it is manifest that the brush wheels 33 can be positioned with respect to the guide-bar 37 so as to regulate the action of the bristles 36 of said wheels so as to render the coating thin or thicker as may be de sired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow open-ended members, rotary means above and below the said bar for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly on the same.

2. In an apparatusof the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a cross-sectionally rectangular guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, said bar adapted for travel longitudinally thereon, of hollow open-ended members which follow'the form of the bar and whereby said members will be turned onehalf of a complete revolution, and rotary means above and below said bars for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly onthe same.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and havinga half-turntwist interme diate its ends, said bar adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow open-ended members, rotary means above and below said bar between the ends of its said twist for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly on the same.

at. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends and a one-fourth-turn twist at its discharging end, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow open-ended members, rotary means above and below the said bar for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly on the same.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, a roller journaled in a suitable opening in the bar at the middle of its twist, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow open-ended members, rotary means above and below the said roller on said bar for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said-roller and forwardly on the bar.

6. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a supporting frame, of a guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow openended members, rotary means above and below said bar for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly on the same, means rearwardly and forwardly of said rotary means for applying a coating of suitable materialzto the lower surfaces of said members in their progress along said bar, and means at the free end of said bar for righting said members as they are discharged from the bar.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow openended members, rotary means above and below said bar for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly on the same, means rearwardly and forwardly of said rotary means for applying a coating of suitable material to the lower surfaces of said members in their tracks along said bar.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a cross-sectionally rectangular guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow open-ended members, rotary means above and below said bar for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly on the same, means rearwardly of said rotary means for applying and distributing a coating of suitable material to and on the lower surfaces of said members, and means forwardly of said rotary means for applying and distributing a coating of suitable material to and on the lower surfaces of said members and in their travel along said bar.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a cross-sectionally rectangular guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow open-ended members, rotary means above and below said bar for pressing opposite portions of said members towards said bar and forwardly on the same, means rearwardly of said rotary means for applying and distributing a coating of suitable material to and on the lower surfaces of said members, means forwardly of said rotary means for applying and distributing a coating of suitable material to and on the lower surfaces of said members in their travel along said bar, and means at the free end of said bar for righting said members as they are discharged from the bar.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a cross-sectionally rectangular guide-bar located longitudinally above the same and having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends, said bar being adapted for travel longitudinally thereon of hollow-open-ended members, a rotatable wheel mounted above said bar and a rotatable wheel mounted below said bar for clamping opposite portions of said members towards the bar and for forcing them forwardly on the same, a pot or receptacle mounted on the supporting frame rearwardly of said upper and lower wheels, a wheel journaled in said pot and located directly below said bar adapted to approximate the lower surface thereof, a brush wheel journaled in said pot directly under said bar for contact therewith, a pot or receptacle mounted on the supporting frame forwardly of said upper and lower wheels, a wheel journaled in the last named pot and located directly under the bar adapted to approximate the lower surface thereof, a brush wheel journaled in said last named pot directly under said bar for contact therewith, and means for driving all of said wheels and the said brushes simultaneously and in a direction to force the said open-ended members forwardly on said bar.

11. An apparatus of the class described including a cross-sectionally rectangular guide-bar having a half-turn twist intermediate its ends and adapted for the travel longitudinally thereon of open-ended members whereby said members will be automatically rotated one-half of a turn consecutively as they progress forwardly on the bar, and means for feeding said members forwardly on the bar.

12. An apparatus of the class described including a cross-sectionally rectangular guide-bar having a half-turn twist interme diate its ends and a quarter-turn twist at its discharging end, said bar adapted for the travel longitudinally thereon of open-ended members, and means co-acting with said {)nembers to move them forwardly on said JOHN L. GAFFNEY. 

